Mend A Broken Heart
by amygerrard
Summary: Damon disappeared three years previously after his mother's death. Now, back in Mystic Falls, he has one goal in mind; to mend Elena's broken heart. AU/AH O/S Written for the A2A Holiday Exchange on LJ.


**AN: This one just kind of got away from me but I hope that you'll all enjoy it! Outfits are available on polyvore, my account is amygerrard.**

_Prompt by tvdbonesfanatic: AH/AU Damon has just come back home from University in San Diego after not being back since his mother's death three years ago. He comes home to find a different Elena, rebellious and wild, than the one he left behind due to her mother's death from cancer. Her father Grayson and Damon's best friend Jeremy ask Damon to help Elena face herself because Damon went through a similar phase when his mother passed. Can Damon save Christmas and how will Elena deal with the boy whom she lost her virginity to coming back? Include flashbacks of the Christmas of Damon and Elena's first loving making. Smut or no smut just make it amazing ;)_

_Just so you know: _Damon is nineteen in the flashback and in his first year of college and Elena is sixteen. When Damon returns, he is twenty-two and Elena is nineteen.

**Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Vampire Diaries'.**

* * *

Damon's hands glided over the smooth leather of the steering wheel as his blue Camaro coasted seamlessly down the once familiar roads. He inhaled deeply, his eyes flickering to the blue sign at the side of the road.

_Welcome to Mystic Falls._

_Please drive carefully._

He winced almost imperceptibly, an ache clenching his heart as he swallowed thickly. Those words meant more to him than the average person; they haunted him at night, constantly reminding him of his mistakes. He blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the tears that clouded his blue orbs before they threatened to overflow down his cheeks. He took a left turn, shaking the morbid thoughts from his head as he glided along the tarmac, the setting sun providing a beautiful light that shone over the surrounding forest and bathed his home in its golden glow. Swinging into the driveway, he slowed to a stop in front of the large, front door.

Cutting the engine, he sighed softly and nodded his head in silent encouragement before clicking open the door and sliding from the seat. He looked up at his family home; although he hadn't seen it in three years he found that he hadn't missed it, not when his mother's laughter and warmth had been erased from within. It didn't feel like home anymore, that title had been commandeered by San Diego over the last three years but he had to admit, he had missed Mystic Falls. Not necessarily for the town itself but rather, the people in it. One person, in particular, he had missed greatly.

The devilish glint in her doe eyes when she pushed his buttons (something he always reprimanded her for but secretly loved), the way her nose scrunched up when he kissed her forehead (apparently his natural 'Damon' scent was strongest on his neck), the slight pout her lips formed when she was deep in thought (normally when she was trying to think of a witty comeback that she could fire his way), the soft curves of her shoulders (the ones he had nibbled on - only once but the experience had remained etched into his brain), the subtle sway of her hips (something she was totally unaware of but that had his body reeling with every movement) and the long lengths of her legs (either her legs were getting longer or her skirts were getting shorter - either way, he couldn't say he minded). He had missed all of it. Every little detail about her very being was mesmerising to him and he had found that no one could compare to her. (He wondered if it was because he didn't want them to.)

No, he reprimanded himself, he couldn't think like that. It had been three years, she wasn't still supposed to affect him like this; especially after what he'd done to her. For now, he just had to get used to living in Mystic Falls again; although his law course wasn't due to end until June, he had been given an internship at the local solicitor's which meant that he was spending Christmas with his family for the first time in three years. Exhaling slowly, he grabbed his duffel bag from the trunk of the car and swung it over his shoulder before proceeding up the steps. He knocked on the door quickly and moved from foot-to-foot awkwardly as he heard the tell-tale sign of his brother shuffling towards the door.

Damon gasped; whoever was in front of him now wasn't Stefan, he couldn't possibly be. The boy he'd left behind had been a bean-pole with next to no weight on his bones and dustings of acne across his face but this was a man. A man with a much bigger stature, the defined muscles that were hugged by his T-shirt and jeans, the flawless skin that covered his face and stretched over his strong jaw line but more noticeably than that was the way his eyes had changed; the green irises seemed brighter as confidence lit them up and obscured any trace of the once insecure and awkward teenager he had once been.

"Stefan," Damon half-huffed, half-chuckled as he was immediately engulfed in his little brother's embrace, being squeezed so tightly that he worried his bones would shatter. He wrapped his arms around Stefan, delivering him a few walloping blows to his back before their hands connected between their bodies and formed the motions of their secret handshake. "It's good to see you, brother."

Damon leaned back, a grin on his face that pulled his cheeks taut; he couldn't prevent it, seeing his brother after years apart had doused out the dread that had been slowly building in his chest. Before he could process it, his head was snapping to the side and a searing pain shot through his jaw that no amount of rubbing from his hand could soothe. "What the hell?" he spat, turning to look at his - extremely smug - brother.

Stefan flexed his fist before he folded his arms across his chest, arching his eyebrow incredulously. "Don't pretend like you didn't deserve that. Three years, Damon. Three years and not one word from you."

He bowed his head, his raven hair shielding his eyes as he felt shame wash through him, dispelling any traces of his previous happy mood. "I'm sorry, Stef."

"You just left with barely a goodbye. You left a stupid note that said you had to get away, not that you would disappear off of the face of the planet."

"I was still on Earth," Damon sighed, probing at the tenderness of his jaw. "I went back to college, San Diego college. I just couldn't be here, not after what happened."

The sandy blonde shook his head negatively, "It wasn't your fault, Damon. Accidents happen and I know for a fact that mom wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself for what happened."

"Easier said than done," he grunted, a sarcastic smile curling at his lips that Stefan saw right through. "Is Father home?"

Stefan retreated into the house, shaking his head negatively as he closed the door behind Damon. "No, he's normally only home when he has to sleep and even then, some nights he'll just sleep at the office."

Damon winced, noticing the pained expression on his little brother's face, he must have been lonely in this big house; no mother, a barely-there father and a disappearing brother. He cupped Stefan's broad shoulder, squeezing it lightly as he offered him a sympathetic smile. "Well, I'm here now for the significant future so I hope you've got your snoring in check."

Stefan chuckled, his green orbs sparkling as he quickly retorted, "There's not an awful lot of sleeping done in this house, if you know what I mean."

"Stef," Damon shook his head warily. "Even the squirrels outside know what you mean. Subtlety isn't exactly your forte, brother."

"And patience isn't yours, brother," he refuted, his green eyes flicking towards Damon's watch that he had been keeping a close eye on since he'd stepped over the threshold. "Go and see her."

Damon frowned mockingly. "Who?"

"The dense look really doesn't suit you," Stefan chortled, turning his brother towards the door. "A piece of advice? Don't expect her to be the same Elena that you left here."

Damon's steps faltered as he turned his piercing gaze on Stefan. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I wasn't the only one who needed you around and some of us had to find different ways to deal with grief. Elena got the short straw," Stefan explained sombrely, rubbing the back of his neck wearily. "Just help her."

Damon nodded, pulling his keys from his pocket and swinging them on his index finger as he strolled to his car, a pep in his step as one thought sent thrills through his body; he would get to see her again.

* * *

"Damon!" Grayson Gilbert chuckled, the amazement etched on his face as he stood dazed in the doorway before pulling the younger man into an embrace.

"No punch, please," Damon pleaded as they pulled away, causing a frown to mar Grayson's features. "Never mind."

"I take it you're here to see the kids," Grayson guessed, sweeping his arm in a welcoming motion as he ushered Damon into the house. "Jeremy is upstairs and Elena is... somewhere."

Damon arched his eyebrow. Somewhere? Well, that wasn't very scientific. He still remembered the days when Elena would check in with her parents every half an hour when they were younger so they knew where she was. Times had certainly changed. "I hope it isn't too late," he commented, noticing the clock on the mantelpiece of the living room. Ten o'clock. Maybe he should have left his visit until tomorrow.

"Jeremy!" Grayson called, immediately greeted with the sounds of thumping on the floorboards above before a pair of feet appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Geez," Damon whistled lowly, "what are they putting in the water these days?"

Jeremy laughed embarrassedly, scanning over his - newly rippled - body that he had worked to keep in perfect condition. "It's great to see you again, man."

Damon greeted his best friend with a firm embrace; the memories from their childhood flashing through his mind. "You, too."

"It's been a while," Jeremy noted as he pulled away, fixing Damon with a glare.

"Yeah," Damon sighed, looking down guiltily. "I know. I just needed to get away from everything."

Jeremy nodded. "I get it. I just would've liked to know that my best friend was still alive, you know?" he chuckled.

Damon smirked, "Got it. I'm sorry I wasn't here for the funeral. I only heard a couple of weeks ago."

Grayson gulped harshly, stepping to stand beside his son as he wrapped a strong arm around Jeremy's shoulders. "We're making do. It's been three months but every day, I'll remember some silly little, once inconsequential, thing that makes me miss her even more."

"How's Elena?" Damon asked before he could stop himself. He hoped he hadn't sounded too eager to enquire about her but he'd been holding back talking about her since he'd stepped into the Gilbert household. He couldn't help it; she'd plagued his thoughts when he'd been away and he desperately needed to know about something - _anything_ - regarding her that had happened over the past three years he had been gone.

"She's..." Grayson trailed off, rubbing his hand down the side of his face tiredly. "To be honest, Damon, she's not doing well."

Damon's blue eyes connected with Grayson's grey ones, his heart clenching at the look of pain there. He shook his head dazedly. No, that couldn't possibly be right. She was Elena. She was the strong one, the one who was constantly there for her friends and the one who had a solution for every problem. But with the death of her mother, she had been the one that needed taking care of and it seemed that no one had had the capability to do so. Except maybe him. He knew, deep down, he was certain of it, that he would have been able to help her or he would have died trying. He had always known that she meant more to him than anyone else in his life but it took three years of separation from her to realise just quite how much she meant to him. In short, she was everything. Everything he desired and everything he needed.

The decision to come back to Mystic Falls had been made on a whim; the placements in various solicitor's he had been offered had stretched across the country but when he had heard of one in a small town in Virgina, he had found it impossible to resist. It was time, he had decided, time to return to the place where he had lived out his childhood. Of course, the painful memories of his last stay here haunted him but the knowledge that he would get to see her again had him signing his name on the dotted line.

He cleared his throat, hoping that Grayson and Jeremy hadn't noticed how he'd drifted off into his thoughts. "How so?"

"She- Uh-" Jeremy stuttered, clenching his jaw as he turned and stalked off towards the kitchen.

Damon winced, hearing the sounds of cupboards slamming and various dishes being clattered around. "How bad is it, Gray?" he murmured, already resorting back into the ways of his childhood; it was impossible not to when, after being back in Mystic Falls for just a few short hours, he felt like he'd never left.

"She's out of control. She's partying every night, coming home in the early hours of the morning in a drunken stupor before falling into bed. She misses school the majority of the time, too hungover to lift her head let alone go to classes. We've tried everything but if she doesn't improve then at the start of the year..."

Damon frowned, unable to follow Grayson's train of thought. When the older man didn't continue, Damon prompted him, "At the start of the year..."

"Jeremy and I have decided to," he took a deep breath before continuing, "put her into rehab."

Blue eyes widened as a loud gasp escaped past Damon's lips. "Rehab? I thought that would have been a last resort."

Grayson nodded sadly. "It is. There's nothing else we can do. She won't listen to any..." he trailed off, his grey eyes fixed on Damon as a look of wonderment crossed his face, "one."

Damon tilted his head, his brow furrowing as Grayson continued to stare at him blankly. "What is it, Gray?"

"Talk to her," Grayson replied resolutely, reaching out to lay a hand on Damon's arm. "Please, Damon."

He chuckled humourlessly, raking a hand through his raven hair. "What makes you think she'll talk to me?"

"You have a connection. It's something we - us parents - all noticed when you were younger. She was devastated when you left but not because she missed you." Grayson smiled at the painful expression that morphed Damon's face. "Of course, she missed you but that wasn't why she was so unhappy. She knew that you were wrecked after your mother's death and she wanted to be there for you. The only problem was that you disappeared before she could offer you that comfort."

"I needed to get away," Damon breathed, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "I didn't think of the repercussions my leaving would have on anyone, I was selfish."

"Yeah, right, " Grayson rolled his eyes. "You, Damon Salvatore, are the definition of selflessness. I still remember when you gave Elena your piece of cake on _your _birthday because she dropped hers."

Damon's blue eyes trailed to the floor as he laughed embarrassedly, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck. "I was a sucker for that pouty bottom lip of hers."

Grayson smiled fondly, "She needs you, Damon. If anyone has a hope of getting through to her, I know that it's you. You've known her ever since she was a baby and your bond only got stronger from then on. In fact, I think you were closer than ever before you left."

Damon's head shot up, his eyes wide as his face held the expression of a deer caught in headlights. Grayson couldn't possibly know, could he? He couldn't know that Damon - someone he thought of as one of his own children - had taken away his little girl's virginity. No, Damon shook his head, because if he knew, Damon was sure that he would have been kicked out of the house by now with a shiner around his eye as a souvenir of his visit.

"Uh, yeah," he coughed awkwardly. "Is she here?"

"No," Grayson scoffed. "She hardly ever is. It's getting late but she'll hopefully turn up. It's Christmas tomorrow, after all."

"I'm sorry, Gray," Damon nodded sympathetically. "Give me a call when she gets in and, if it's not too much trouble, then I'd like to take her away for a bit so we can talk."

"Anything you need, Damon, if it helps my baby girl."

* * *

Damon drove aimlessly along the many winding roads that led both into and out of Mystic Falls as he attempted to clear his head. It was impossible, though. He kept thinking about Elena; wondering where she was, if she was safe and if she really was as lost as Grayson and Jeremy perceived her to be. He straightened in his seat, noticing how the road in front of him lost it's anomalous quality and became the familiar route that he had travelled so many times before during his fresh stint in adulthood. Pulling onto a dusty lane, he managed to keep the Camaro moving in a straight line; even an inch to the left or right would cause the overgrown hedges and trees to scrape along his baby and that was something that Damon desperately wanted to avoid. He winced, hearing a slight screech as a stray branch tugged against his wing-mirror.

Finally slowing to a stop, he rested his arms over the top of the steering wheel and looked at the run-down hut in front of him. The place he had always come to when he'd needed to run away, except for one time; that time even the outskirts of Mystic Falls hadn't been far enough for him to run to. He took in the rugged exterior, from the rackety, old door that was barely hanging on by its hinges to the darkened and chipped wood of the walls and finally to the window that was smeared with years of grime and dust. It may not have been special to anyone by any means, but it was special to him and he hoped that it meant something special to Elena, too. After all, it was the place where she'd lost her virginity. It was also the place that Damon began to realise he was falling in love with her.

* * *

_"Damon, are you sure this is the place you're looking for?" Elena murmured doubtfully, a frown on her face as she took in the building in front of her. Building not necessarily being the operative word to use but she found she couldn't resemble it to anything else._

_He rolled his crystalline eyes to the night sky; Elena hadn't stopped complaining since they'd left his parent's house with the promise that they'd be back in a while. First, it was that they shouldn't be out walking in the snow. Second, it was that her shoes weren't made for walking. He thought he'd overcome her barriers when he had persuaded her to follow him through the forest but then number three came along when she complained about not knowing where they were going. Then, there were, of course, all of her questions. Would their parents wonder where they had disappeared off to? What if Jeremy found out about what they were doing? Had he brought protection? What if the protection broke? Would he take her to the pharmacy if she needed the morning-after pill?_

_Damon had answered each and every one of her questions, attempting to set her mind at ease and he had met all of her complaints with his usual charm that had her going weak at the knees. He smirked, looking down at her knowingly. "I've done a bit of work on it. Follow me." _

_He stretched his hand out towards her, smiling encouragingly when she simply stared at his hand for a few moments before cautiously placing her gloved one in his. She walked behind him, grabbing onto the hem of his jacket as he made his way up the few, icy steps. Her breath was smoky in the night air and she found herself burrowing in against his side against the cold wind that surrounded them. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and shuffled her into the hut._

_"I can't see anything."  
Damon chuckled, because, of course, she didn't have any patience. He let go of her waist and slipped into the darkness. Elena gasped as she heard the crackle of a match, the soft glow illuminating Damon's face before it was being placed into the waxy centre of a red candle. She watched on in awe as he moved around the room, the light brightening as he lit more candles until the whole hut was bathed in the glow of the embers._

_"Oh," she breathed, noticing how a make-shift bed had been laid out on the floor; a few duvets, a fur throw and a couple of pillows was all it equated to but it was perfect for her. She noticed the small, two-seater couch against the side wall and the basket in the corner. "It's beautiful."_

_Damon hummed quietly, moving to stand behind her as he rested his hands in the curves of her waist. She leaned back against him naturally, her head falling against the crook of his neck as if it had been designed exactly for that purpose. "I'm glad you think so," he purred, swaying them slowly to an imaginary beat. "Are you sure you want to do this?"_

_"Damon," Elena sighed, grasping his hands in hers. They'd already had this conversation a hundred times since she'd brought it up a couple of months ago during one of their many phone calls. "Caroline and Bonnie talked about their first times and how Bonnie hadn't been ready and Caroline's didn't mean anything. I don't want that for me but I'm ready now and you're the only one I trust. I know you won't hurt me and, if it's us, then it means something. Please."_

_"Elena," he smirked, pulling her closer so that their chest brushed together. "I'd rather hear you begging when you're underneath me."_

_Elena gasped, a high pitched squeak sounding as Damon immediately swooped down and placed his lips on hers. Stunned momentarily, she stood there and marvelled at the sensation of Damon's lips on hers. Sure, she'd felt them there before but that had been when they were kids and didn't know what they were doing or when he'd been drunk and hit her lips when he'd been aiming for her cheek. This was different, she decided, as she allowed her lips to move with his. She puckered her lips, pressing them more forcefully against his as her hands trailed up his chest and found purchase in his unruly hair. She twirled it around her fingertips and tugged at it experimentally. The growl against her lips had lust pooling between her legs as her body began to writhe against his._

_She'd never felt like this before, so overtaken by passion that she was a slave to her own body. And what her body wanted was him. She broke their kiss, gasping for air as she pushed his sodden - the snow that had fallen on his shoulders had melted from the heat of the candles - jacket, ignoring the loud thump it made as the heavy material connected with the floor. She looked up into his eyes, completely awestruck by their darker shade and the utter need in them. She stepped back subconsciously, her body reacting to the intensity of his stare. Damon followed her, reuniting their bodies as his hands traced the curves of her body and his lips found hers. They kissed languidly, simply enjoying the fact that they could without it being weird. His tongue touching hers sent sparks through their bodies and Damon couldn't control himself as his hands moved to unbutton her coat. As a simple kiss had him seeing stars, he found himself growing restless with the need to have her beneath him as he filled her to the hilt._

_"Elena," he sighed, his eyes finding the simple, aztec-styled knit dress she had adorned for Christmas dinner at his house. It really shouldn't have affected him in the way that it did but when he'd seen her strip her coat off in the parlour earlier that day, he had felt the anticipation rise in his chest because he knew that he would get to see what was underneath her dress later that night. She was his friend - always had been - but he found that, with the knowledge that she wanted him to be her first, he was seeing her in a totally different light. He surmised it was because he was finally allowed to think of her in that way. It was no longer considered taboo to think of his friend in various states of undress or have her participating in his fantasies, not when it was soon to become a reality._

_With that thought, he moved his lips from hers as he began to trail them down her neck. He nipped at her pulse point, smirking against her neck when a breathy moan flew uninhibited from her lips. Kneeling down, he looked up at her as he slowly hooked his hand behind her knee and pulled it up until it rested against his shoulder._

_"Damon, what are you-" her question faded off as his fingers began to pull on the zip of her boot before he began trailing it down her calf and off of her foot. She watched on silently as he repeated the action with her other foot. When he was done, his fingers trailed up her nylon-covered legs. She bit her lip, stifling a moan when he traced the outline of one of the bows on the inside of her thigh. She shivered, feeling his hands slip below the hem of her dress and settle over her hips. She inhaled sharply when his nails scratched against her stomach before hooking beneath her tights as he peeled them from her skin. His fingertips had fire blazing underneath the skin he touched and her heart pounded in her chest when he placed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the inside of her thigh, looking up at her with lustful, cerulean eyes as he did so._

_Damon took a teasing bite at the flesh of her knee as he rose from the ground, pulling her against the length of his body. He slid his hands down her arms, linking his fingers with hers as he pulled her hands up to rest on his chest. "Undress me."_

_Elena's eyes widened at his request as she moved her hands shakily towards the first button. She fumbled it between her fingertips as she pried it from its hole, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip when she discovered his jutting collarbone. Her fingers made their way down his shirt until she was able to see a sliver of his pale skin from his neck to his happy trail. She stepped closer to him, intent on ridding him of his shirt when her lips found the little dip of flesh between his throat and his collarbone. The action took him by surprise, if his throaty gasp was any inclination, but as his fingers weaved through her chocolate locks, holding her to his neck, she continued with her exploration. She trailed her lips up the centre of his throat, over his bobbing Adam's apple until she reached the soft scratch of stubble on his chin. She nipped at his jaw, once, twice, a third time before placing sporadic kisses on his neck. It wasn't enough, however, just to feel his skin, just to taste it. She wanted to mark it. Mark it - _him_ - as hers. Because in this moment, he was._

_Elena bit into his neck, grazing her teeth over his skin before soothing the spot with her tongue. _

_If he figured out her intentions, he didn't say anything. Her fingers slid beneath his shirt as she helped him shuck it from his shoulders and down his muscular arms. Her eyes were entranced as she watched his biceps bunch as he tugged the material from his wrists. She fingered the hem of her dress nervously before taking a breath as she began to sweep the knit dress up the length of her body. She felt Damon's fingers dance along her stomach before they were aiding her in her endeavours to push the dress over her breasts. She lowered her arms when they were freed from the sleeves and allowed Damon to pull it over her head. He tossed it behind her; she knew that she should have cared where it went, it would mean less searching time later on, but the way he stared at her, well, she found it impossible to look away._

_She breathed deeply, inadvertently causing his eyes to dip to her breasts. Breasts that were covered in a lacy, black bra and further down, a pair of matching panties hid her most intimate area; Christmas presents to herself that were meant especially for tonight._

_Lowering her eyes, she found her body jolting in surprise when instead of a half-dressed Damon in front of her, there was a full-blown naked Damon with a very impressive member bobbing between his thighs._

_"Don't look at him like that!" Damon chuckled, noticing her slightly crazy-eyed stare at his favourite part of his anatomy. "You'll scare him off."_

_"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" she purred before her hand flew over her mouth, her brain only registering the words she had spoken when she heard them for herself._

_Damon smirked at her, his eyebrows wriggling salaciously as he stalked towards her. His hands pressed against her back before sliding downwards, finally resting on the curve of her ass. He squeezed her flesh, massaging it with his palm as he felt his erection slide against her stomach. "Definitely not, that would ruin all of the fun we're going to have."_

_Elena nodded, shivering when she felt the wet trail of his pre-cum across her stomach. "Damon?"_

_"Yeah?" he replied, bending down to press his lips to her forehead in a sweet kiss that resembled none of their earlier urgency._

_Elena paused, her eyes fluttering shut as the words passed her lips, "Make love to me."_

_"With pleasure," he purred, slowly moving them until they knelt on the floor. He leaned over her, gently ushering her to lie down on her back. She followed his guidance and soon, she was resting on the duvets with Damon towering above her, his forearms resting on either side of her head. He allowed his hips to rest against hers as he slowly nestled between her thighs._

_Elena ground her head against the floor as the head of his penis rubbed against her clitoris through her underwear. She struggled beneath him as she thrust her hand behind her back and flicked open the clasp of her bra. She looked up at Damon, silently pleading for his help. He nodded at her request and began trailing the straps down her arms. His eyes were glued to the lace of the bra until finally, he granted himself with his first look at her bare chest. He gulped harshly, noticing how the golden flickers of the candles danced across the creamy flesh of her ample breasts. Her dusky pink nipples stood up erect, whether that was from the slight chill in the air or her state of arousal, he wasn't sure, though for the sake of his pride, he hoped it was the latter._

_"Wow," he muttered, stalking over her body once more as he lowered his mouth to her chest. He pressed a kiss to her sternum, his teeth smiling against her skin when her breathy moan registered in his ears. He licked a trail along her breast until he reached her nipple. He flicked his tongue teasingly against her prominent bud, his cock nudging against her core every time she writhed beneath him._

_"Damon," she pleaded, gripping his head between her hands as her hips undulated beneath his. She needed... something. She wasn't sure what it was but every time Damon's tongue came into contact with her nipple, she felt a swirling in her belly that only intensified with each rock of his hips. Whatever he was doing to her, her body was responding._

_"Shh," he soothed her, sliding his hand down her stomach. "I've got you." His fingers dipped below the waistband of her panties, slowly sinking deeper until they came into contact with her wet heat. Elena gasped, her hand clenching the duvet in a tight grasp as he slowly slid one finger inside of her centre._

_"Breathe," he commanded, noticing the red glow that was spreading along her face. She exhaled in a rush, her chest heaving as he began to thrust his finger in and out of her core at a leisurely pace. Her eyes fluttered as her back arched off the floor, her breast inadvertently pressing against his lips._

_Damon, sensing she was ready for more, slid another finger inside of her as his mouth enclosed around her nipple, sucking on it ardently._

_"Oh, God!" Elena chanted, a heat coursing through her body as she felt the legs in her muscles begin to shake. She began to pant as she tossed her head from side to side; the sensations he was evoking in her were too much for her to cope with. "No!" she murmured, running her hands through her hair wildly. "Too much, I can't-"_

_As soon as Damon's thumb swiped across her clitoris, she was gone. _

_A kaleidoscope of colours erupted beneath her eyelids, her ears popped and the only sound she could hear was the pounding of her heart and her body writhed, her hips rolling against Damon's fingers as her back bowed of the floor and her fingers pulled at her hair._

_Damon slowly removed his fingers from her centre, licking away the evidence of her pleasure before slowly trailing her panties down her shapely legs. He crawled on top of her, petting the back of his hand against her cheek as she continued to shake beneath him._

_"Elena," he whispered, breathing a silent sigh of relief when her eyes fluttered open and revealed the doe eyes that captivated him every time she looked at him. "Hi."_

_She looked at him blankly for a moment, her expression one of total amazement as her lips moved silently. "Hi," she exhaled shakily._

_"You okay?" he wondered, petting the stray hairs from her forehead. "I thought I'd lost you for a second there."_

_She nodded her head dazedly. "Yeah, I think so. What was that?"_

_He chuckled at her naivety, "That was an orgasm, babe. You came."_

_"Oh," she blushed, ducking her chin against her chest._

_Damon tapped his fingertip against her lip, pulling it away from her mouth before letting it flop back into place. "There's no need to be embarrassed. In fact, I'd like to do that to you over, and over, and over... well, you get the picture. If you'll let me, that is?"_

_She looked into his icy blue eyes, seeing the excitement, adoration and uncertainty there. She placed her hands on either side of his neck and pulled him down for a long kiss, her tongue tangling with his as her legs wrapped around his waist. "Yes," she sighed; whether it was an answer to his question or simply an exclamation when she felt the head of his penis stroke her aching bundle of nerves, even she didn't know._

_"We don't have to, just say the word and I'll s-"_

_"Don't you even think about it," Elena growled, pinning him with a stare that had a sharp jolt of lust shooting straight to his cock. He'd never seen her so wild, so uninhibited, before. The sight of her only served to turn him on further._

_He lifted his hips above hers, before slowly bending down so the head of his penis ran along her folds. "Shit!"_

_"What wrong?" Elena gasped worriedly, noticing the pained expression on his face. "Damon?"_

_He gritted his teeth, barely holding onto his control that was stopping him from plunging straight into her. "Protection," he spat. "It's in the basket."_

_Elena tilted her head back to see the wicker sitting behind her head. Her eyes flicked to Damon's and she watched as he mentally geared himself up to move away from her. "I've got it," she murmured, stretching her arms over her shoulders. She wriggled until her fingers finally scraped along the basket and gripped onto the wood. She pulled it closer to her until Damon was able to reach it._

_Damon wasted no time in diving his hand into the basket, scraping around until he felt the foil beneath his fingertips. With a grunt of victory, he unsheathed the condom from its wrapper and immediately rolled it onto his throbbing length. Resuming his previous position, he prompted Elena to wrap her legs around her waist, tilting her hips up when she did so._

_Elena followed his orders, her hands gripping onto his biceps for support as she took deep, calming breaths in the hopes that it would slow her thundering heart. She accepted Damon's lips when he leaned down to kiss her and she whimpered, feeling as the swollen head of his cock pushed into her centre. She remembered Damon's instructions from earlier and tried to control her breaths._

_"This might hurt, okay?" he declared. "But I'm going to make it pleasurable, afterwards."_

_Elena gulped worriedly, her mouth drying as her insides clenched in anticipation. "It's okay, I trust you, Damon."_

_Damon nodded, his brow furrowing as he tried desperately to move forward as slowly as he could. He paused when he met the resistance of her maidenhead, one part of his body telling him to keep going so he could be fully seated in her warm heat whilst the other part was telling him to abort their whole plan because he didn't want to hurt her. In the end, it was Elena who decided for him. She tilted her hips, her already wet walls giving him the lubrication he needed to break through the barrier and enter her virginal passage._

_"Damon!" Elena cried out, tears stinging at her eyes as she clenched her jaw shut._

_Damon swiped at the stray tears that spilled from her eyes and down her temples. "I'm sorry," he hushed her. "Sorry, sorry, sorry." He peppered her face with kisses in the hopes that it would take her mind off the pain below. He decided it was working when her little whimpers of pain decreased into nothingness. They laid together, joint so intimately, for another few moments in silence; the only sound in the whole hut was their laboured breathing._

_"Oh," she murmured, her fingers clenching into Damon back._

_"Elena, what's wrong?" he asked in concern, his eyes searching her face desperately for an answer._

_"Nothing," Elena shook her head negatively. "I just- I feel... full."_

_He stared at her wondrously for a second before his face broke out into the biggest grin she'd ever see him wear. "God, you're perfect," he laughed. "There's a reason you feel full, you're a tight fit."_

_"Is that a good thing?" she asked warily, smoothing the crease between his eyebrows with her thumb._

_"That," he chuckled breathlessly, "is a very good thing."_

_"Can you move now?"_

_Damon raised his eyebrow, surprised at her show of dominance; he had to admit, the idea of her telling him what to do had his penis throbbing inside of her. Regretfully, he retreated from her hot centre completely before sliding back home. He repeated the motions slowly, allowing her the time she needed to get used to the feel of him and of them - together._

_"Yes," Elena moaned when he thrust inside of her faster, his pubic bone brushing against her prominent nub. "Right there, Damon!"_

_He used her moans as a guide as to what she liked and he was pleased to find that she actually enjoyed his slightly rougher thrusts. He moved inside of her deeply yet also managed to keep up a leisurely pace that had her eyes rolling back in her head. Sensing she was close, he trailed one hand up her thigh and leaned over her body so their chests were pressed tightly together. His lips traced hers, no quite connecting for a full kiss but rather, it was a simple brush of their lips every time he retreated and thrust back into her core._

_She squeaked illegibly as his pubic bone connected repeatedly with her clitoris and as she felt that familiar clenching in her belly, she pulled Damon's lips to hers. One last thrust and she erupted. Her orgasm tore through her body, causing her walls to convulse around his member almost painfully. He came with a loud shout of her name, his orgasm serving to extend hers into mini waves of pleasure that washed over her body._

_Elena bit down onto Damon's lip, her hands raking along his back as her body began to relax. Even as he collapsed on her sweaty form, her body still buzzed with energy as she trailed her fingers through his hair soothingly. She mewled softly as she felt his teeth graze her shoulder repeatedly. "Thank you."_

_Damon raised his head from the crook of her neck, staring at her lovingly with his crystalline eyes. "I should be the one saying that," he laughed, pushing himself up onto his elbows. He leaned back onto his shins, wincing painfully when he slid from her core. He couldn't help but smirk when his expression was mirrored on Elena's face; she clearly hadn't wanted him to pull out of her either._

_Damon rolled over beside her, peeling the condom of his still semi-hard length before tossing it in a nearby plastic bag. He reached across and pulled the basket towards him, silently rejoicing when Elena rolled over and snuggled into his side. He kissed her forehead softly, reaching around to place a wrapped gift in front of her face._

_"What's that?" she questioned childishly, her brown eyes widening._

_"It's a present," he stated. "Duh!"_

_"For me?"_

_Damon rolled his eyes. "Who else would it be for?"_

_"But you already got me those books I wanted," she protested, pushing his hand with the gift towards him. "And, you gave me _this_." She motioned between their tangled bodies, a blush rising to her cheeks._

_He resisted her movements, holding her wrist in his other hand. "It's Christmas, I can give you as many presents as I want," he smirked. "Plus, _this_ was a joint present. One, I think, both of us were very happy to receive."_

_She smiled softly, her body humming excitedly at the content look in his eyes. Finally, she relented, grasping the present in both her hands as she rolled over onto her stomach and examined it closely, Her finger slid beneath the fold, tearing the tape from the paper easily. She repeated the motions until the paper fell from her hands to reveal a small, white box. She flipped it open, a loud gasp falling from her lips when her eyes caught sight of the glinting silver inside._

_"Damon, it's beautiful," she breathed. Her fingers picked up the delicate bracelet from its place nestled in against the navy, velvet cushion. Her fingertips trailed over the thin silver, tracing the whole outline of the heart in the centre. "Here, put it on me."_

_Damon accepted the bracelet from her hand, immediately wrapping it around her wrist and connecting the clasp. "No," he groaned, noticing the way it hung limply of her wrist and, he knew that with even the slightest angle of her wrist, it would be falling off onto the ground._

_"Hey," she turned him to look at her and placed a sweet kiss to his lips. "I love it."_

_"But, it doesn't even f-"_

_She pushed her lips against his more insistently before pulling back to take in the dazed look on his face. Unfastening the bracelet, she bent over and secured it around her ankle. "See, it fits."_

_"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, collapsing onto his back as he threw his arm across his eyes. "You can wear it there until it fits your wrist."_

_"Damon," she giggled, prying his arm from his face. "I think this will only fit my wrist if I grow to the size of a hippopotamus."_

_He flipped her over, nestling between her legs as his fingers found her rib cage. "You think that's funny, huh?"_

_"Damon!" she squealed, writhing beneath him. "Stop!" Her laughs echoed through the hut and soon, the deep tenor of his own chuckles joined hers. "I surrender," she acquiesced, sighing when his fingers granted her release._

_"I hope you've learned your lesson," he warned, squinting his eyes at her as he rested his chin on her sternum._

_"Yes, sir," she mumbled, fingering his hair. "Why did you get it for me?"_

_He lowered his eyes before looking up at her... vulnerably? She wasn't sure, she'd never seen that look in his eyes before. "Well, you got me something to wear a few weeks ago and I wanted to return the favour," he smiled._

_Elena frowned, looking at him warily. "What did I get you?"_

_"Well, technically you won me this." He raised his hand, wriggling his fingers at her. Her eyes found the silver ring on his middle finger; the big, chunky, God-awful ring equipped with a large, tacky blue stone and silver 'D' that she had painted on herself with nail polish for added effect._

_"That's from the carnival," she protested. "It will probably turn your finger green."_

_"And, I'll let it," he allowed, tracing his index finger down her flushed cheek, "because you gave it to me."_

_Elena shook her head, palming his face between her hands. "You are the most idiotic, confusing, annoying, caring, tender and sweet man I've ever met."_

_"You're stuck with me," Damon acknowledged, hope searing through her chest when she didn't deny his assumption but rather, accepted it with an eager nod of her head. "Are you still sore?"_

_She moved her thighs, wincing when she felt the tenderness of her core. "Yeah, I think so."_

_"It's a good thing I brought other goodies to celebrate with then," he leered down at her as he stretched across her body, his hands rifling through the basket._

_"Mistletoe?" she frowned, noticing the green sprig between his fingertips._

_"Yeah," he chuckled, putting it above their heads. He ducked under his arm and placed a small kiss to her lips. "Just in case things got off to a slow start."_

_"I guess we didn't need it, then," she teased, dragging her finger along his collarbone. __Elena watched on in amazement as he moved away and pulled a punnet of strawberries, a can of whipped cream, some fudge sauce and a bottle of champagne from the basket. "Where's the ice cream?"_

_"Oh, you think I'm making a sundae," he laughed at her utterly perplexed expression. "How cute."_

_"What the hell are you making then?" she grunted, not enjoying how completely smug he was being._

_"Dessert," he enunciated, dragging the word into a purr that had a shiver running down her spine and goosebumps rising on her skin. "With you as the main ingredient."_

_Her eyes widened as he flicked the lid off the can of whipped cream, sending it flying across the room. Her breath stilled in her lungs as he leaned over her, the nozzle poised at her breast._

_The jarring sound of a ringing phone broke them from their bubble and Damon groaned when he saw 'Father' flash up on the screen. "Yeah, Dad?" he answered, his eyes still fixed on Elena. "What do you mean I have to come home?... I'm not in some bar getting drunk, so your reputation is safe if that's what you're wor- What? ...No, you're wrong. She can't be."_

_Noticing the distress seeping into Damon's voice, Elena knelt beside him and wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders as she pressed her cheek against his._

_"We'll be right there."_

_Elena closed her eyes tightly at the pain in his voice as he hung up the phone. The device clattered to the ground as he slumped forward. She barely managed to catch him before his face hit the floor but then she had hauled him up into a sitting position as she propped him up against her chest._

_"She's gone."_

_Elena froze, her fingers pausing in Damon's hair as she tilted her head down, her lips pressing to his temple. "Who's gone?"_

_"My mom."_

_With those two words, Damon broke down into a sobbing, uncontrollable mess; the only things holding him together were Elena's arms._

* * *

Damon palmed his face tiredly; that had been simultaneously the best and worst day of his life. And it was all his fault. Sure, he had done right by his promise to Elena and had ensured that her first time had been when she was ready and that it had been meaningful but, in doing so, he had completely forgotten about his other promise. The promise that he would drive his mother to the cemetery so she could lay flowers on the graves of her parents.

Of course, when he hadn't returned from his walk with Elena, his mother had assumed that he was making progress with the girl and, being the eternal matchmaker, she had not wanted to disturb him. Instead, she had ventured out onto the snowy roads by herself; his father's hip had long meant that driving was next to impossible and Stefan had barely started learning. The police said that she'd been driving along Wickery Bridge when she had skidded on a slab of black ice. Her car had careened over the edge and been submerged in the dark depths of the river. Her death had been as peaceful as it could have been, the coroner had told them; she had hit her head on impact with the bridge, knocking her unconscious. She wasn't aware of the water that seeped into her lungs and stole the air that she needed to survive.

Her funeral had been two days later. The whole town had gathered to say goodbye to a woman who had touched all of their lives in some kind of way but Damon found that the only one he had noticed was Elena. Her eyes had been puffy and red as she stared at him from across the grave site, her fingers linked with her brother's as they watched the coffin being lowered into the ground. His calm façade had given way then as the first of many tears spilled from his cerulean eyes. He barely registered when his knees crashed to the ground, nor the surprised gasps from the crowd and the flutter of footsteps. The only things he had known of were pain, devastation and her. Her arms had wrapped around his shoulders, much like they had been on Christmas night as she pulled him to her chest. He had gone willingly, seeking the comfort only she would be able to provide with her warm and tender touch. He had sobbed against her black dress, his tears staining the fabric though he knew that she wouldn't care.

He remembered hearing as people began moving to their vehicles, leaving the couple alone in their grief. He had lifted his head from her chest and disentangled himself from her chocolate tresses as he stared at the gravestone in front of him. Standing up shakily, he had waved off Elena's steadying arm.

"I need to get away," he had mumbled, his eyes looking around wildly.

"Okay," Elena had nodded in understanding, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you at the reception."

He had nodded at the silent question in her eyes before turning and stalking from the cemetery. He'd lied. He wouldn't be seeing her at the reception. He wouldn't be seeing her for another three years, in fact. As soon as he had escaped the confines of the cloud of death that hung over the cemetery, he flew in his Camaro until he reached the driveway of his family home.

Walking inside, he had immediately been hit with the emptiness of the place. He kept expecting to see his mother rush around the corner, scolding him for being late for dinner or for having his tie hanging half-way down his chest. He collapsed against the wall as the memories threatened to crush him. The table he had run into when he was five years old, his sobs only quieting when his mother had rocked him in her arms for a solid hour. The wallpaper he had decided would make a good canvas for his art when he was nine, he could still faintly see the markings from his crayons. His father had raged on him but his mother had let him away with a simple smile and a compulsory 'Don't do it again'. The couch had a small tear near the bottom corner that had occurred when he'd been a horny fifteen year-old fooling around with an eighteen year old girl; the spring had gone right through the leather. His mother had pretended to be none the wiser, even making up the excuse to say that they needed another couch if the weight of them all was causing the springs to pierce the couch.

She had always been there for him, always protected him, but when it came down to it, he couldn't do the same for her. He wasn't there when she needed him to drive in those treacherous conditions and he didn't protect her from her untimely death. It was his fault she had died. Looking around his family home, he had come to a conclusion. There was no way he would be able to live here with the guilt that was gnawing away at his insides. He had told Elena he needed to get away and, he did. He needed to go back to San Diego and stay there. Permanently.

And he had. With a quickly scribbled note and a few of his most prized possessions thrown into a duffel bag, he had set off on his journey. Never looking back.

Until now, that was. He'd heard of Elena's mother's passing from cancer. It pained him to admit that he hadn't even known Miranda had been diagnosed. He wondered if it had been an ongoing thing that no one had known about or if Elena had only discovered the truth when the news had been declared that her mother had only a few, short months left to live. Either way was awful, either way was just as hard. And, he should have been there. To hold her hand, be the shoulder to cry on, like she had been for him.

But he wasn't there. He wasn't even in the same state and she had had to go through it alone. Of course, she had her father and brother but he had a feeling she had needed something more. He certainly had; if only he'd realised that she was the something he'd been needing. Instead, he'd gone to San Diego and drank himself into many stupors that left his mind reeling. His grades had plummeted but his social life didn't. He had been in a bar every night, drinking like there was no tomorrow (sometimes, he wished there wasn't) and having drunken, meaningless sex with any woman that looked his way. He had lost the ability to care, that was until, he received an email from the Dean telling him, in no uncertain terms, that if his grades continued as they were then he would be kicked out of his course.

That had kicked his ass into action; after all, if he didn't have his place in college then he would have to go back to Mystic Falls and face the ghost of his mother. That was something he definitely didn't want to do. Instead, he had severely cut down on his partying time and knuckled down at the books. His grades had increased and, he found that he loved what he was doing. An added bonus was that he was so busy that he barely had time to think of Mystic Falls and all it contained.

And then, when he'd received news of Miranda's death, his plans changed. Instead of looking for reasons to stay away from Mystic Falls, he'd found himself eager to get back there. To see Elena. To help Elena. To be with Elena. She'd needed him, he could feel it deep within his bones and he had never been one to deny her. A few days later, he'd set off across the country, ready for Christmas in Virginia.

And that was how he had ended up here, staring at the smeared windows of the hut in front of him. Wait, he paused in his inner musings. Had he just imagined that or had he really seen a small flicker of light against the darkness of the window? Edging closer, he noticed the glow coming from within was constantly moving, resembling that of a candle. His hand found the doorknob as he pushed it open easily, the moonlight shining through the doorway.

"Oh my God!" a voice screamed.

Damon ducked, avoiding the rectangular shape that had been thrown at him before slowly raising his hands in surrender as he looked at her.

"Damon?" she breathed out shakily, lowering the arm that was holding her other book as she collapsed onto the couch behind her. "What the hell were you playing at? You scared the living daylights out of me!"

"Hey," he countered, leaning against the door-jamb. "Firstly, I didn't know it was you in here. Secondly, I found this place ergo, it's mine. It should be more surprising for me to find you here."

"Why are you here?" she asked meekly, crossing her legs.

Damon couldn't help as his eyes were drawn to her toned legs that were barely covered by a pair of leather hot-pants. Six-inch, black heels adorned her feet; he wondered silently if they were the reason she had collapsed onto the couch. A lacy, pink bustier wrapped around her breasts, pushing them up for anyone's gaze to see. Two slats around her sides simply held the lace fabric with nothing underneath expect the olive of her skin. Altogether it was too revealing, too cheap, too _not_ Elena.

"What are you wearing?" he countered, arching his eyebrow at her.

"It's fashion," she retorted petulantly.

"Fashion?" Damon scoffed. "Unless you're working in the red light district, babe, that ain't fashion."

Elena gasped in outrage, her lips pouting adorably as Damon stalked towards her. He towered over her, staring her down as he noticed the half-empty bottle of vodka beside her.

"Really, Elena, vodka?"

"You drank when you were my age," she grumbled, snatching the bottle from him as she hugged it to her chest.

"Ah, but I was a much more sensible nineteen year-old than you are," he smirked.

She squinted at him doubtfully. "How do you figure that?"

"Because I'm the King of Awesome. Now, get up. We have to get you home."

"No," she refuted, folding her arms against her chest. "I don't want to leave. But, if you do, then go right ahead. It's was you're best at, right?"

Damon winced, feeling the venom behind her words. "I'm sorry."

She scoffed, looking away from him but he didn't miss the glint of a tear in her doe eyes. "It doesn't matter," she croaked, swatting at her cheek, a wet smear spreading along her skin.

"Yes, it does," he urged, moving to kneel in front of her. He placed his hands on her knees, imploring her to look at him whilst his thumbs stroked soothingly against her skin. "Because I shouldn't have left. It was the coward's way out. All the alcohol, the women, all of it helps you to forget. But, don't you see, Elena? That's only for a few minutes, an hour if you're lucky and then you're right back to where you started in heartbreak city. Believe me, that was practically my life for three years."

Elena stared at him wordlessly, before she reached forward and cupped his face, her fingers trailing over his cheeks. "You're really here," she marvelled.

"I'm here, baby," he nodded. "I came back for you. To save you."

"Can I tell you a secret?" she whispered, trailing her nails down his neck as he nodded. "I stopped drinking a while ago."

Damon frowned, his brow furrowing. "What?"

"At first, after my mom... died," she choked out. "All I wanted to do was forget and the alcohol helped. I went to clubs, I danced with men and I thought I was fixing everything. We'd known mom was getting sicker and sicker by the day, but I was able to cope. She was still there and every day a grew a little stronger, a little more hopeful that she'd beat it. But she didn't. She passed away during the night and I crumbled. My strong façade was just that; a façade. And so, I lost myself to alcohol. That time was all a whirl but amongst it, I realised that I'd been hoping that if I got bad enough, wild enough, that you would hear about it and you'd come back. For me."

Damon closed his eyes painfully; she'd been acting out for his attention, hoping that her change in personality would have been enough to tempt him back to Mystic Falls. It was all his fault and it was his job to fix it, to mend her broken heart.

"Elena-"

"No," she interrupted him. "I've stopped now. I realised that I was basically ruining my life."

"What about this?" Damon wondered, pointing towards the clear bottle of vodka.

She smiled in embarrassment, "It's actually water. I just kept pretending that I was out of control because I thought someone would contact you somehow. I heard Dad mention it a few times, about finding you in San Diego but he never did. Jeremy even took a trip down there once, but you know, it's a big city."

"Wow," he murmured. The Gilbert family really had gone out of their way to find him when he should have been there from the start in the first place. "I want to take you back home. It's cold out here."

"I know," she mumbled, staring at him intently. Before he could determine the burning look in her eyes, she had leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The kiss only lasted a few seconds but it had memories flashing through Damon's mind; ones that were perfectly engrained on his memory. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," he declared, pushing her onto the couch. "So. Fucking. Much."

"Show me," she commanded, her fingers clenching on his shirt as she tugged him over her. He stared down at her; her molten eyes, her flushed cheeks, her throbbing pulse point, her heaving chest and her writhing hips.

He groaned, "We don't have time."

"We'll make it fast then," she murmured, her fingers tearing desperately at the button and zip of his jeans. She tackled both with minimum difficulty as she pushed them, along with his underwear, over his hips.

He hissed, feeling her hand encircle his member as she slowly glided her silky palm up his length. "Oh, Elena!" he breathed out in surprise when her thumb swiped purposely along the swollen head of his penis. "Stop."

Elena froze. Had she done it wrong? No, she concluded, not if the hungry look in Damon's eyes was any indication to go by. She shivered as his fingers popped out her button and lowered the zip on her shorts. She lifted her hips dutifully as he slid them down the length of her legs, shoving her heels from her feet when they threatened to halt his progress. Her panties followed shortly after and her body hummed with anticipation when suddenly, he flipped them over so she was lying above him.

Elena straddled his hips easily, her fingers automatically searching between her thighs for his member. With Damon's help she managed to guide the head between her womanly folds. Taking a deep breath, she slowly lowered herself onto his erection, her insides stretching to accommodate for his thick girth. She planted her hands on his pectoral muscles, smiling softly when he linked his fingers over hers.

She knew what he was doing. He was giving her control. After so long without out it; not being able to control Damon's disappearance, not being able to control her mother's sickness and not being able to control her own mind that constantly reminded her of things she wanted to forget.

Here he was, Damon Salvatore, relinquishing control over to the only girl he'd ever loved. His eyes stayed locked on her as she rolled her hips, providing her with the friction she craved. He followed her every movement from her slow lifts from his lap to her harsher drops when she sunk back down onto his arousal. Every little twist or roll of her hips sent him reeling and it wasn't long until he was nearing the edge. His fingers grasped her hips when suddenly, without warning, he came with a low groan. The twitchings of his cock inside of her had her spinning into her own orgasm that removed all rational thought from her brain. Elena collapsed against him, her body too tired to maintain an upright position. Her lips found his neck as she sucked on it and nipped at his skin.

"Nice bracelet," he commented, nodding his head towards her ankle.

"Technically, it's an anklet seeing as I still haven't grown into it," she teased. She reached for his right hand, frowning when she found it empty. "Where's your ring?"

"It was a bit ostentatious for a lawyer so I had to scrap it as a ring," registering the hurt on her face, he was quick to continue, "and make do with a necklace." Pulling the chain from beneath his shirt, the gaudy ring appeared; the green on the inside told her he'd worn it when he was gone, the sentiment warmed her heart.

"Elena, serious question time."

"No," she groaned, pouting adorably. "Not serious question time."

"I just need to know," he frowned. "Where you safe?"

"I never had sex with anyone else but you, Damon." At his frown, she pressed a finger to his lips and continued, "You were the only one I wanted to be with. I only danced with other boys, nothing more. I couldn't."

He swallowed harshly, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "Oh," he replied, more breathlessly than he'd care to admit. "I guess I can't really comment on safe sex, right now, anyway."

"Oh!" Elena nodded in understanding, her eyes glancing between their joined bodies.

Damon raised his hand when she looked back up at him. "And, before you ask, I will take you to the pharmacy to get the morning-after pill."

"Yeah, I'm not sure my dad wants a little one running around just yet. He might just kill you if you did," she giggled, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.

"I wouldn't put it past him," he chortled, running his hands through her soft curls. "Speaking of, we should probably get going."

"We wouldn't want him finding out about this," Elena nodded, quickly disentangling herself before she re-dressed herself.

Damon chuckled, "Please, he loves me. I guess it doesn't hurt that I'm in love with you, either." He smirked as she stared at him in shock.

"W- What?" she stammered.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" he frowned, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "I am hopelessly in love with you."

Elena bit her lips, trying to hold by her face-splitting grin. "I love you, too."

"That," he teased, cupping her face, "is _very _good."

She moaned softly as he pressed his lips to her in a tender kiss. Their tongues tangled together sensually as her hands palmed his neck and his linked behind her back. They pulled back breathlessly, allowing them to be lost in each other's stares for a few more moments.

"Also," Damon scowled, breaking the silence as he pointed towards her attire. "This kind of stuff is not to be worn unless I'm in your presence and can punch any douche-bags that try to hit on you."

"Deal," she smiled, linking her hand with his.

As he led her out of their own little, love shack, one thought had a smile pulling at his lips. It was definitely going to be a Merry Christmas.

* * *

Grayson looked up from the kitchen table at the sound of the door being opened. He gently shook Jeremy from his slumber, unprepared for whatever state he would find Elena in this morning. He stumbled down the hallway; the restless nights were taking their toll on his body. He stopped short when he watched Elena walk through the doorway, looking as chipper as ever with Damon on her heels.

He didn't fail to notice the way they smiled at each other, the longing looks they exchanged, that way Elena leaned back naturally against Damon's chest or the way their hands joined together perfectly. The thing that stood out, though, was the red mark on Damon's throat, identical to the one Grayson had seen in the exact same place when he had been away with his daughter, three Christmas' ago. He didn't like to think about what that meant but his little girl was smiling again and he knew that Damon was the cause of it. So, whatever it was that was between them was fine by him.

"Please, tell me you're not hooking up with my sister. I mean it, man, I don't want to have to castrate you."

Apparently, Jeremy wasn't extending them the same courtesy.

* * *

_I'd love to hear your thoughts! Merry Christmas, everyone! Amy xo_

_Twitter: _amygerrard_


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